Water Sector News
A snapshot of clean water stories from publications around the country, updated daily!
NASA partners with NEW Water on blue-green algae detection in Green Bay Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette
GREEN BAY - Space may seem an unlikely place to assess blue-green algae conditions in the bay, but it's the newest frontier in efforts to combat the toxic blooms.
NEW Water, Green Bay's wastewater utility, accepted NASA's invitation to join the international AERONET-OC initiative this year. The program uses satellite images and ground-based monitoring devices to track changes in the bay's water color.
NASA placed one such device, called SeaPRISM, on one of NEW Water's 34 monitoring stations in the bay, Fox River and East River. The SeaPRISM collects surface water color data NASA uses to improve and refine data collected by satellites high above Earth.
NASA principal investigator Nima Pahlevan said NEW Water's existing Aquatic Monitoring Program makes the bay a uniquely valuable site where water color measurements can be matched with water quality measurements.